Weekly Recipe: Prairie-Fire Beans

I made this recipe last weekend for my cooking club. I did start by using dried beans, but if you're not so inclined you can certainly add the same flavors to canned beans and be on your way more quickly.

Prairie-Fire Beans
courtesy of Cooking Light magazine
Serves 12
4 Points value

1 pound dried pinto beans (about 2 cups)
8 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 small onion, peeled
4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Drain.

Return beans to pan; add 8 cups water, bay leaves, and small onion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain beans; discard bay leaves and onion.

Cook bacon slices in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon slices from pan, reserving the drippings. Add minced onion and garlic to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add beans, bacon, beer, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Per serving: 193 cal, 5.9g fat (2.1g sat fat), 4.9g fiber, 174mg sodium